I generally break down geeky versus nerdy as matters of passion and acquisition. I tend to think of nerdy as in collection, in acquisition, while geeky tends to be in application and creation. Baseball nerds collect stats, figures, cards, baseball geeks are painting themselves and coming up with banners. Comic geeks are dressing up and making fanzines and tribute art, while comic nerds are collecting and collating information and books. Pretty much the opposite of our Dear Author. Not so much practitioner vs fan, but matters of passion. Geeks throw themselves into their field--be that science fiction, comics, movies, while nerds are collecting and gathering information. It's a different criteria set. Nerds know the stats, they see the patterns, they have a breadth of knowledge, and that knowledge is their connection to their passion. Geeks on the other hand want to be in the thick of it. They do more than just collect and gather, but apply. Robot geeks build 'bots and try out new stuff, robot geeks collect different models, they gather parts and new designs, stats on previous models. Football geeks are painting their faces and playing a lot of fantasy football, but then again, there is common ground, as the football nerd who has made a careful study of stats and figures and past performances, is playing in those same leagues, but then again, the football geek is also playing in a home league on the ground, and getting grass stains.

Geeks aren't afraid to get a little dirty. Geeks don't mind the long hours applied to study, so long as they get to make something, build something, channel their own passion into their subject. They're in historical recreations, they're making their own costumes, building, making, applying, while I tend to think of nerds as collecting, collating, and gaining a deep understanding from that study.

Using Twitter or other social media as your criteria is an interesting way to look at it, but that falls into the collation of data side. By my thinking, that puts it on the nerdier side of things. In the definition that they're putting forward, it tends to be reinforced by the tangible side of things. Geeks like to be involved with their subject, to be a part of the action, be a part of their passion. Nerds want to understand it, collect data, collect things, to tear them apart to understand them. Geeks want to do, while nerds want to possess. Both have similar passions--a Star Wars nerd has a vast collection of stuff, access to massive amounts of information, to be able to find and collate and tear apart ideas, certainly. The Star Wars geek is using the information to do something with it. To make that costume, to build their own Death Star model, to make a vast Lego diorama. They have certainly crossovers, because in order to do stuff, you need information, you need references, but the Star Wars geek isn't just collecting, they're also playing with it, and trying to use it in some fashion. Nerds use the information, but often to bolster a reputation for deep knowledge, while the geek builds a reputation on doing stuff. Same with the football nerd and their vast knowledge of stats and history, versus the guy who is putting together a fantasy league. Crossover, certainly, but the nerd gets off on the knowing, and having folks recognize that knowledge base, while the geek gets off on the showing off of their passion in doing things.

hubiestubert:I generally break down geeky versus nerdy as matters of passion and acquisition. I tend to think of nerdy as in collection, in acquisition, while geeky tends to be in application and creation.

Interesting. TFA says just the opposite.

In broad strokes, it seems to me that geeky words are more about stuff (e.g., "#stuff"), while nerdy words are more about ideas (e.g., "hypothesis"). Geeks are fans, and fans collect stuff; nerds are practitioners, and practitioners play with ideas.

Nexzus:Having a iPad and having watched the Avengers does not make you geek.

Changing the channel of your HDHomeRun network OTA tuner using your Cisco VoIP phone while the tuner is streaming to a PS3 is geeky.*

*Because I can, that's why.

/Most peoples' eyes glaze over when I start with "this devices turns OTA ATSC to IP unicast or multicast on my network"

I always get the feeling that IT people don't think that people from other specialized professions go way over people's heads when they start talking about what they do. You never hear a biochemist going off about "oh haha you should have seen their faces go blank when I started talking about tertiary protein blah blah blah"

sendtodave:hubiestubert: I generally break down geeky versus nerdy as matters of passion and acquisition. I tend to think of nerdy as in collection, in acquisition, while geeky tends to be in application and creation.

Interesting. TFA says just the opposite.

In broad strokes, it seems to me that geeky words are more about stuff (e.g., "#stuff"), while nerdy words are more about ideas (e.g., "hypothesis"). Geeks are fans, and fans collect stuff; nerds are practitioners, and practitioners play with ideas.

Our Beamish Boy is looking at data sets of words, as opposed to looking at it from a set of passions and how they are applied and devoted to. It is one way to look at things, I tend to look at it from a matter of how they apply their passions. Nerdy and geeky isn't just about tech or movies--you can be a history geek or a football nerd. It is how you apply and direct that interest and passion.

I was under the impression that "nerd" was a reference to the cultural trappings of tech-oriented personnel (e.g. studying, watching certain TV shows, coffee, etc) whereas "geek" refers to the actual hobbies or skills that make someone actually a tech-oriented person (doing your own wiring/electronics/control programming for things, working in a job requiring an engineering degree, etc).

I mean, they both refer to the use and manipulation of 1980s+ technology, so they're interchangeable to a degree, but there is a difference. A nerd may enjoy '80s TV shows, and while geeks frequently watched TV instead of playing outside in the '80s as well, it's a cultural side-effect of being in the tech field for them, not the whole deal like it is for nerds.

//Basically, the difference is that it's possible to be a nerd and still have no discernable practical skills or knowledge, but that's not the case for a geek.

Jim_Callahan:I was under the impression that "nerd" was a reference to the cultural trappings of tech-oriented personnel (e.g. studying, watching certain TV shows, coffee, etc) whereas "geek" refers to the actual hobbies or skills that make someone actually a tech-oriented person (doing your own wiring/electronics/control programming for things, working in a job requiring an engineering degree, etc).

I mean, they both refer to the use and manipulation of 1980s+ technology, so they're interchangeable to a degree, but there is a difference. A nerd may enjoy '80s TV shows, and while geeks frequently watched TV instead of playing outside in the '80s as well, it's a cultural side-effect of being in the tech field for them, not the whole deal like it is for nerds.

//Basically, the difference is that it's possible to be a nerd and still have no discernable practical skills or knowledge, but that's not the case for a geek.

You think so? I got exactly the opposite vibe from that infographic. Stuff like chemistry and calculus and genius on the nerd side, and Apple, Samsung, cosplay, and pretentious on the geek side.

Mike Chewbacca:Jim_Callahan: I was under the impression that "nerd" was a reference to the cultural trappings of tech-oriented personnel (e.g. studying, watching certain TV shows, coffee, etc) whereas "geek" refers to the actual hobbies or skills that make someone actually a tech-oriented person (doing your own wiring/electronics/control programming for things, working in a job requiring an engineering degree, etc).

I mean, they both refer to the use and manipulation of 1980s+ technology, so they're interchangeable to a degree, but there is a difference. A nerd may enjoy '80s TV shows, and while geeks frequently watched TV instead of playing outside in the '80s as well, it's a cultural side-effect of being in the tech field for them, not the whole deal like it is for nerds.

//Basically, the difference is that it's possible to be a nerd and still have no discernable practical skills or knowledge, but that's not the case for a geek.

You think so? I got exactly the opposite vibe from that infographic. Stuff like chemistry and calculus and genius on the nerd side, and Apple, Samsung, cosplay, and pretentious on the geek side.

/I'm both, and yet I still get laid.

Well, the infographic is stupid. I think Jim came closest to my own personal definition so I'll just say everyone else is wrong.

Also, "gamer" doesn't have anything to do with nerds or geeks. Sure, nerds and geeks may be gamers and it certainly helped to have an Apple or PC during the '80s if you wanted to game at home and didn't have an Atari console but if you went to any arcade during that decade you'd mostly find regular teenagers, mostly male, quite often stoners who weren't geeky or nerdy at all.

These days, anyone can be a gamer. Parents are letting their kids play Angry Birds on their tablets before the kid can even say "Mama" and from there they get a PSBox or whatever and before you know it, they're just another maladapted juvenile delinquent with an overinflated sense of self-worth.

The definitions have blurred so much as to be practically meaningless. Just look at a few of the headlines in the Geek tab. Opening jars, Twinkies, putting GPS collars on cats. Those are geeky? I suppose you could make a case that most of the headlines are for geeks, but really, opening jars?

Mike Chewbacca:You think so? I got exactly the opposite vibe from that infographic. Stuff like chemistry and calculus and genius on the nerd side, and Apple, Samsung, cosplay, and pretentious on the geek side.

/I'm both, and yet I still get laid.

Well, the infographic is:

(1) and infographic and

(2) based on what people that use twitter think and

(3) actually literally extracted from Twitter.

So, empirically, looking at other things presented as infographics and other things based around twitter, we can project with 99.5% certainty that whatever it implies is the exact diametric opposite of the actual truth of the matter.

And if you're not sure what that means: Geeks are social (but bad at it). Nerds aren't interested in socializing whatsoever. They pursue the subject purely for its own sake.

That's assuming a lot there. Being a geek or a nerd doesn't necessarily mean you aren't social in my opinion. Plus the whole us vs them is silly. Most people are both. I'm a space nerd, but also happen to be a tech geek. As long as you aren't a dork its all good.

hubiestubert:I generally break down geeky versus nerdy as matters of passion and acquisition. I tend to think of nerdy as in collection, in acquisition, while geeky tends to be in application and creation. Baseball nerds collect stats, figures, cards, baseball geeks are painting themselves and coming up with banners. Comic geeks are dressing up and making fanzines and tribute art, while comic nerds are collecting and collating information and books. Pretty much the opposite of our Dear Author. Not so much practitioner vs fan, but matters of passion. Geeks throw themselves into their field--be that science fiction, comics, movies, while nerds are collecting and gathering information. It's a different criteria set. Nerds know the stats, they see the patterns, they have a breadth of knowledge, and that knowledge is their connection to their passion. Geeks on the other hand want to be in the thick of it. They do more than just collect and gather, but apply. Robot geeks build 'bots and try out new stuff, robot geeks collect different models, they gather parts and new designs, stats on previous models. Football geeks are painting their faces and playing a lot of fantasy football, but then again, there is common ground, as the football nerd who has made a careful study of stats and figures and past performances, is playing in those same leagues, but then again, the football geek is also playing in a home league on the ground, and getting grass stains.

Geeks aren't afraid to get a little dirty. Geeks don't mind the long hours applied to study, so long as they get to make something, build something, channel their own passion into their subject. They're in historical recreations, they're making their own costumes, building, making, applying, while I tend to think of nerds as collecting, collating, and gaining a deep understanding from that study.

Using Twitter or other social media as your criteria is an interesting way to look at it, but that falls into the collation of data side. By my thinking, that puts it on the nerdier side of things. In the definition that they're putting forward, it tends to be reinforced by the tangible side of things. Geeks like to be involved with their subject, to be a part of the action, be a part of their passion. Nerds want to understand it, collect data, collect things, to tear them apart to understand them. Geeks want to do, while nerds want to possess. Both have similar passions--a Star Wars nerd has a vast collection of stuff, access to massive amounts of information, to be able to find and collate and tear apart ideas, certainly. The Star Wars geek is using the information to do something with it. To make that costume, to build their own Death Star model, to make a vast Lego diorama. They have certainly crossovers, because in order to do stuff, you need information, you need references, but the Star Wars geek isn't just collecting, they're also playing with it, and trying to use it in some fashion. Nerds use the information, but often to bolster a reputation for deep knowledge, while the geek builds a reputation on doing stuff. Same with the football nerd and their vast knowledge of stats and history, versus the guy who is putting together a fantasy league. Crossover, certainly, but the nerd gets off on the knowing, and having folks recognize that knowledge base, while the geek gets off on the showing off of their passion in doing things.

I still define these terms in a way that they were used before they became "cool".

Nerd = Heavily involved in things that are cerebral (Math,Science, DnD, etc.) and are pretty happy hanging out with their group of like-minded peers.

Geek = Intelligent, but obsessed with being included in social groups that are not going to accept them. This makes geeks very annoying.

Spaz = Actually has something functionally wrong with their social skills or mental.physical development. Hard to hang out with, but respectable because they just do their own thing without begging for acceptance.

This is probably a regional thing and is from the 80's, so I probably need to update my definitions.

It's pretty simple. The terms "geek" or "nerd" are titles society at large bestows on you after observing your actions and behaviour. You do not get to decide yourself whether you're a "geek" or a "nerd".In general, self-proclaimed "nerds" are anything but. Playing "Angry Birds", liking "Lord of the Rings", or wearing a "Talk Nerdy to Me" t-shirt (or any "geek" themed t-shirt) usually means you're a pathetic tourist trying to co-opt an identity you don't actually qualify for.

GameSprocket:Geek = Intelligent, but obsessed with being included in social groups that are not going to accept them. This makes geeks very annoying.

Spaz = Actually has something functionally wrong with their social skills or mental.physical development. Hard to hang out with, but respectable because they just do their own thing without begging for acceptance.

For curiosity's sake, what did you call people that had the functional problems of a Spaz but acted like a Geek?

I self identify as these and I just can't get myself worked up enough to care. Anytime one of my friends starts a diatribe about the different classifications I-

-you know what, my story is stupid, the classification is stupid and I'm now stupid for participating. I'll let myself out.

Everyone babbling about social aptitude, is pretty socially inept, having prolonged arguments about things that cannot matter, is exactly the stereotype they are trying to cast others into. I love intellectually stimulating topics, and I don't care what label you need to apply on me to suitably force the world around you into bubbles.